Face down in the dirt
by xlifexisxbeautifulx
Summary: Coming home to a crying Marie. How does Franken react?
1. Chapter 1

He came home to her sobbing.

Sighing softly under his breath, Stein ashed out his current cigarette dangling from his lips in the nearby ashtray. He never knew how to handle her crying. It was usually his fault in most cases, or because somebody broke her heart.

But, nothing like that had happened. Life had been pretty uneventful. Marie found a permanent home in Death City by residing with him. And he was content with it. Sure, she liked, colorful things. But he didn't mind her warm presence. She seemed happier here too. She's teaching at the Academy and even has taken to training with Stein on carefree afternoons.

So, why was she crying?

Slowly making his way up the stairs, Stein paused at her door. Going to knock, he found the door open slightly. Pearing his way in, Stein frowned visibly at the sight that lay before him.

The beautiful blonde woman lay curled in her bed. Her hair lay across her pillow in a knotted mess as tissues lay scattered across her bed. Her hands curled up against her chest as her body was in the tightest ball she could manage. Her body shaking slightly. Everything seemed fine, until he had a look at her face.

Where her eyepatch was supposed to be was a deep gash from the top of her forehead, all the way down to her cheek. There was no blood, but a very bright, visible red color could be seen. Or was that his anger?

Making his way over to the blonde woman, Stein bent down to press a hesitant hand against her head. Feeling her still in her shaking. Opening her eyes slowly, Marie seemed to visibly relax as she spotted her lover standing above her. Trying to give him a smile, Marie failed and instead started to choke on soft sobs.

"Franken..I'm so sorry." Failing to give any more of an explanation because of her sobbing, the mad scientist frowned deeply as he reached for her chin and grasped it loosely. Feeling her tense, Stein shushed her and continued to stare at the wound angrily.

"Who. Did. This?" Feeling his anger, Marie felt her breath hitch as she gazed into those livid green eyes. Licking her dry lips, Marie pulled her head away from his grasp and turned her body around so her back was to him.

"Why do you automatically assume that it was somebody? It could have been an accident." She spoke so quietly that Stein had to lean in close. Hearing that sentence, the man had to hold back a sarcastic laugh.

"Marie, I'm a scientist. I'm not an idiot. That is not caused by a damn accident. Who did this to you?" Exhaling softly, Marie sat up on the bed as she stared out the window sadly. Stein watched her impatiently as she gathered her thoughts.

"You'll kill him without even listening to what happened. So I'm not telling you." Trying to retort, Marie stood up from the bed and finally took a chance to glance over her shoulder at the man across the room. Sensing him getting even more angry, Marie walked quickly over to him and pressed her hands against his chest, giving him a sad smile.

"He was drunk and was trying to kill himself. He lashed out at me and this is the result. He made sure I got taken care of." Hearing him growl under his breath, Marie clenched her eyes shut as she awaited his reply.

"Made sure you were taken care of AFTER he destroyed your face? How chivalrous of him." Gasping softly, Marie looked up at him with a hurt expression on her face. '_Destroyed? My face is destroyed?' _Moving away from him, Marie wrapped her arms around herself as she looked down at the floor. Hearing a click, Marie knew Stein was playing with the lighter in his pocket. He was trying not to let himself slip into the madness so easily. Damn this woman.

"Wait...the only people in this city who get that emotional when they drink is you, Spirit, and Sid. You only drink with me. Sid is dead now.." Marie swore she heard the click in Stein's head when he figured out who did it. Or maybe that was his screw? Taking a chance to look at him, Marie felt her eyes widen as the crazy grin crossed his features slowly.

"I am going to _kill _that Deathscythe." Fleeing the room, Marie shouted loudly and ran after the man. Grabbing onto his coat, Stein turned around quickly and grabbed onto the woman's arms, pushing her against the wall. Smiling manically at her, Marie bit down on her lip, drawing blood that dripped down to her chin.

"For death's sake Marie, if you don't leave me alone, I may just end up killing you too." Pushing away from her, Marie dropped to the floor in a heap. Staring blindly at the man who flung open the front door, Marie felt like the world was slipping away from her. Maybe it was. She couldn't move at all. Everything was numb.

* * *

To be continued...?


	2. Chapter 2

His heart was going to give out the way it pounded so harshly against his chest. The anger. The excruciating pain he was feeling at the moment from the way he had his fists clenched.

After all that him and the death scythe had been through. After all that Stein had done for him after his divorce from Kami. THIS? This is how he repaid him? By, violently hitting the one woman that provoked feelings deep within him? Feelings he had never experienced before until her lips descended on his years ago? The ONE woman who UNDERSTOOD him. Who was patient, and kind.

The anger surged higher and Stein all but choked back vomit as he sprinted down the street towards the red head's home. He had never felt this amount of rage before, he was surprised that his madness hadn't erupted yet. All the healing sessions with Marie seemed to be helping. His madness had almost disappeared ever since the battle with Asura.

Why is it when everything seemed to be going alright for him that the world just decided to screw him over? The only thing going right at this moment was seeing the death scythe straight ahead, sitting on a park bench. He was hunched over with his hands buried in his hair.

It seemed that Spirit sensed his ex partner because the instant Stein saw him down the street, Spirit looked up. And when that happened, all hell broke lose.

Stein all but flew at the red head, hands grasping onto the man's neck as Spirit gasped loudly; his throat harshly being gripped.

"S-Stein! Please! I'm s-sorry!" His plea's went unheard to the mad doctor. The rage building at an alarming pace through his veins.

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE ALBARN! YOU HIT HER! IF YOU STOPPED YOUR GODDAMN DRINKING, THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Shaking the man, almost trying to tear his head off, Stein yelled in rage as Spirit's own hands came forward to grab his from his throat. He pulled to no avail. He cried out loudly as Stein threw his head back against the cobblestone ground and eventually let the man go.

Spitting the phlegm that had built up out, Spirit coughed loudly as Stein withdrew from him finally. Rolling to his side, the red head rubbed at his throat.

Looking up confused as to why the man stopped his assault, Spirit felt his eyes widen as he spotted a familiar blonde haired woman.

"Marie...I told you to stay away." Standing to his feet slowly, Professor Stein kept his eyes trained on the curled up death scythe, awaiting for the moment when the man would try to get to his feet. Stein knew if the man even tried to move, he would kill him.

"Franken. Stop. He doesn't deserve this. Just..please."

Her voice was desperate. Pleading. And although the blood was gone from her face, it still was showing a vibrant red. The shade of pain and anger. All it did for Stein was infuriate him even more.

"There isn't an excuse. Not one excuse that condones what he has done to you. After all he did.."

"Kami's dead."

For once, Stein felt a tinge of sadness. Although he and the woman never connected, never spoke more than two words, the professor knew the love Spirit had for her. Even through the divorce, all Spirit could talk about was how amazing the woman was. How much passion and desire she had within her. She was a curious subject for Stein.

"Marie, stop. It's..it's what I deserve."

A choked sob made Stein turn his head to his lover, his eyes widening ever so slightly at the distressed woman. He was frozen. What was wrong with her?! Why wasn't she upset with this man! The one who hit her! Caused her the disfigurement on her face? She was showing compassion and sincerity to someone who didn't deserve it in the slightest. A man who grovels for attention like a homeless man begging for money. A man who deems sex over his daughter.

Marie was bright. Beautiful. Warm. Stein didn't understand this.

Watching her kneel down next to Spirit, Marie wrapped her arms tightly around the death scythe. Her sobs muffled into his stained dress shirt as the redhead cradled her in his arms. Almost as if he could conceal his hurt to the woman.

"It's not what you deserve. You just lost the woman you have loved for half of your life. Your pain turned into alcohol and I was too close to you. I'm a weapon. I should have stepped back. It's my fault."

Stein watched in in bafflement. He couldn't understand. Marie shouldn't be apologizing! He didn't understand! Why couldn't he understand?!

Dropping to his knees, Stein gasped loudly as his hands moved to clutch at his hair, pulling at the strands as tight as he could. He was just getting a grasp on emotions. Emotions that Marie helped him discover. And now it was seeming like he was back to square one.

Everything around him was muffled. But the warm encompassing feeling of Marie's wavelength slowly calmed the mad man down. Exhaling heavily, the doctor blinked slowly and forced his head up, meeting Marie's small smile a few feet away from him.

"Franken, I know it's hard to understand. And I know you think that what Spirit did is unforgivable, but have you taken into consideration what YOU would do if something terrible happened to me? Spirit's coping mechanism is drinking. Mira's is working until she falls asleep. Sid's is playing basketball or talking to the students. Mine is crying nonstop and baking foods I won't eat. And yours? Yours is holding yourself up in your lab, dissecting a problem. Whether it be an emotion you can't understand, or a person who annoyed you. Spirit lost the woman he loved for almost all his life. Tell me Franken. How would you feel if you lost me? Would you feel?"

The man in question stared intently down at the ground. A mixture of emotions stirred up in his scarred body. The thought of losing Marie, of never seeing her smile, laugh, yell at him for not taking care of himself, using all the hot water in the house after a shower, the way her body fit so well with his when they made love. It angered him. His fists clenched tightly in raw anger. And then he suddenly slouched his shoulder. Breathing out slowly, he finally understood why Spirit did what he did.

Because he was in love with Marie. With her light. Her beauty. Her all encompassing warmth. Every bit about her, Stein loved. This emotion. It was strange. But it wasn't unwelcome.

Glancing up at her, he was met with her tearful eyes. Blinking once, she let go of Spirit to immediately latch onto him. Her arms easily finding their place. Right where they belonged.

He understood.

While Marie continued to overwhelm his soul with her healing wavelength, Stein glanced over to the death scythe. His best friend. And the man he just tried to kill, and he simply nodded.

Stein never said sorry. Because he felt he was never wrong. But at this instant, he knew he was. And maybe one day he would apologize.

But now he was overwhelmed with the feeling of having Marie.

"I love you."

* * *

HOLY CRAP. WRITING POWER!

I don't know if Stein was OOC or not. I tried not to make him be. Since he has such a hard time understanding feelings, I thought I did an okay job at conveying that. Let me know what you think!


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